NFL analyst drops major concern on why 49ers haven't been able to trade Jimmy Garoppolo
It is now June, and though each day we get closer to the 2022 NFL season, Jimmy Garoppolo remains a San Francisco 49er. Reports suggest he is still expected to be traded before the season begins.
Garoppolo was a hot quarterback candidate to be traded this off-season, and even last season, his name was brought up in trade talks. There's been one thing that has been holding the 49ers back in a successful trade, dealing the quarterback. He has still not fully recovered from his shoulder issues.
Analyst Dan Graziano spoke about Garoppolo's shoulder injury on Get Up as the main reason why the 49ers can't move him.
Graziano said:
"Jimmy Garoppolo remains on the 49ers roster. He had shoulder surgery after the season and hasn't been able to throw (and is) still about three weeks away at the earliest from being able to throw."
He continued:
"The 49ers would still love to engage teams in trade talks with Jimmy Garoppolo but teams need to see him healthy first. This is something that could drag on into training camp as the 49ers get second year quarterback Trey Lance ready to be the starting quarterback."
Garoppolo suffered a shoulder injury during the 49ers' Wild Card game against the Dallas Cowboys. He was already playing with a torn ligament in his thumb that he suffered during Week 16. The 49er played through that injury during the team's impressive playoff run. Unlike the thumb, the shoulder injury required surgery.
Shortly after the 2021-2022 season, he underwent successful shoulder surgery. The expectation was that he would be back and ready to throw before training camp, but he still remains in the recovery process.
Before the Indianapolis Colts acquired Matt Ryan from the Atlanta Falcons, they were interested in the quarterback. Concerns about his shoulder kept them away from trading for him, and other teams probably felt the same way with the uncertainty.
It appears the #Colts didn’t trade for #49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo due to concerns over his shoulder injury, per @diannaespn https://t.co/1ZR4Uu0xwo
Jimmy Garoppolo has expected to be traded since Februrary
The quarterback knows his days in San Francisco are numbered.
Here's what he said in an ESPN article:
"I've got a long career ahead of me. I'm excited about it. I'm excited about the opportunities to come. I just want to go to a place where they want to win. That's really what I'm in this game for. I'm here to play football, win football games and as long as I've got that and good people around me, I think the rest will take care of itself."
In last year's draft, the 49ers gave up a lot to select Trey Lance. They sent their 2021, 2022, and 2023 first-round picks, along with a 2022 compensatory third-round selection (No. 102 overall) to the Miami Dolphins.
The #49ers traded 3 firsts and a third for Trey Lance.
The #Browns traded 3 firsts, a third, and a fourth for Deshaun Watson and a fifth-rounder.
Lance has been given the nod by the coaching staff and will be the starting quarterback this year. It seems that as soon as he is healthy, Garoppolo will be on the move. It will be interesting to see which franchise he plays for when the 2022 NFL season kicks off.